He Won't Hurt You
by LeDbrite
Summary: Hiccup recalls Stoick's first meeting with Toothless as he says his final farewell and regrets how it all turned out.


A/N: To help navigate things easier, here's a key to understanding what the various font types mean: Regular= present. Bold= recent past(aka 2nd movie). Italic= flashback(aka 1st movie).

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><p>Touching his torch to the tip of Hiccup's arrow, Gobber set the kindling alight.<p>

Arcing the bow, taking in the strain as energy thrummed through it, eager for the moment of release, Hiccup focused his blurred vision on the distant ship. Like a death knell, his heart drummed with the reminder that Stoick was gone, crushing his soul under an anvil of pain with an indelible finality.

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><p><strong>"Toothless? Toothless! It's me, Hiccup! Toothless, stop!"<strong>

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><p><em>Bracing himself, Hiccup watched his dad take his seat on the chieftain's chair. Clutching his helmet, hating the way his gut twisted when he thought of how the favor that had been shining in Stoick's eyes of late would fade, he bit his lip as if biting the doubt that gnawed at him. An unwanted guest, doubt worried away at his resolutions, pointing out the insanity of what he was about to do.<em>

_"Be careful with that dragon," Astrid murmured, watching him, not knowing what he was planning, but hoping that it would turn out all right.  
><em>

_ "It's not the dragon I'm worried about," Hiccup replied._

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><p><strong>Feral eyes stalked him relentlessly, promising his doom with every step. The change in Toothless haunted him, awaking a primeval fear that told him he couldn't fight this. Whatever power controlled his dragon; he didn't know how to break its hold.<strong>

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><p><em> Rising imposingly, Stoick announced ominously, "Stop the fight."<em>

_"NO! I need you all to see this," Hiccup answered._

_"I said; Stop. THE. FIGHT!" Stoick thundered, enraged, and slammed his hammer forcefully, bending one of the iron bars that entrapped the fighters._

_Recoiling, the dragon's eyes became slits as it drew its jaws back to snap at the air where Hiccup's hand had been._

...

The flame smoldered fitfully, eating up the sparse amount of kindling provided for it. It wouldn't be long before it burned itself out. Lifting his head, looking past the brim of tears in his eyes, Hiccup let the arrow fly, a blazing red speck against the gathering gloom. And with it, he sent his apologies, his plead for forgiveness, and a prayer that Stoick would approve of him.

...

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><p><strong> "Hiccup!" Stoick called distantly.<strong>

**Tripping, Hiccup back pedaled desperately, crawling as best he could manage, and never once ceasing from trying to talk Toothless back to normal. He was brought up short as his back came up against a wall of ice that blocked his path. Disbelieving, he gazed in astounded wonder as blue dragon-fire appeared in the back of Toothless's throat.**

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><p><em> Running to the dragon, Hiccup urged him to run, heart sinking as his dad charged into the arena.<em>

_"Dad, please! He won't hurt you!" he called futilely._

_Focusing on the great, red-haired, viking, Toothless growled in challenge and lunged for the chief. With powerful sweeps of his wings, he knocked all other vikings out of his path and leapt upon Stoick, pinning him down. Drawing his head back, Toothless opened his jaws wide._

_"No! Toothless stop!" Hiccup cried. "Toothless! NO!"_

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><p><strong> With a rush, a great bulk slammed into Hiccup and sent him sprawling just as Toothless fired his bolt. All was confusion as ice crashed down, blinding everything.<strong>

**Looking up slowly, Hiccup turned to his dragon first then turned his head to the wreckage. "Dad?" he asked, panic edging his voice. "Dad!?"**

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><p>In sync, the other arrows flew from their bows, burning across the sky to imbed in the weathered wood. Ragged sails caught fire, the hull and deck sparking, as the ship was silhouetted by the flames of its pyre.<p>

Immobile by the sight, Hiccup wondered if Stoick knew just how much he had failed him.

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><p><span>AN: Hey guys! Thanks for reading, hopefully you enjoyed it:) I'm sure someone else out there has already made the connection between these two scenes, but I've had this thought stuck in my head, and only just now got around to writing it. Hopefully, maybe, (most probably), no one else has presented the idea in this format. But either way, I had fun with this, and I'm thrilled that I was finally able to show how the second movie effected me.


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